


You're adorable.

by bad_ash10



Series: Tumblr Prompts [4]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Academy Philinda, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Tahiti (Agents of SHIELD), Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bad_ash10/pseuds/bad_ash10
Summary: Five times Phil Coulson thinks Melinda May is adorable.
Relationships: Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Series: Tumblr Prompts [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035009
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	You're adorable.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the QuakeriderWritersGuild Valentine's Challenge over on Tumblr!!
> 
> My Philinda prompt was White Camellia meaning "You're Adorable."

“Who’s this chick?” Phil asked Garrett. “She’s kicking some serious ass out there,” he said, nodding toward the mats where a short young Asian woman was fighting three people at once. And winning.

“Not sure,” Garrett said, watching her closely. “I’ll ask one of my buddies from Operations what he knows about her. But I’ll tell ya-” Garrett clapped Phil on the shoulder and sneered. “-she could slam me into the mats anytime.”

Phil rolled his eyes at Garrett’s crude comments as their instructor paired the Operations students with Communications, and Phil found himself awkwardly standing in front of none other than-

“May,” she introduced herself with a smile, offering him her hand to shake.

“Phil Coulson.” 

Her eyes looked him over, no doubt assessing how much of a threat he would pose when they began to spar. “Don’t look so nervous, Phil Coulson. I’ll take it easy on you,” she said with a smirk.

“I wouldn’t want you to take it easy on  _ me _ ,” Garrett called from a few feet away. “I like it rough,” he winked.

Melinda wrinkled her nose in distaste, a look which Phil thought was pretty damn adorable .

“Ignore him,” Phil said, trying to reassure her, but it seemed Melinda could manage herself.

She sauntered over to Garrett. “John Garrett I presume? Your reputation precedes you. Believe me when I say, you couldn’t handle this.”

Before Phil could even process what was happening, Garrett was on the ground, the wind knocked from him, and Melinda was walking back toward him.

“Now, where were we, Phil?” she asked as if nothing had happened.

Phil grinned. “I need you to teach me how to do  _ that.  _ It’s impossible to get him to shut up otherwise.

* * *

Their instructions had been clear - take out the threat before he could make contact with the terrorist group Shield had been surveilling. This was only the second time Fury had trusted the two of them on a mission alone, and Melinda wasn’t about to botch it.

She adjusted the kickstand on the rifle, fine-tuning her angle before moving to check the scope again. This shot had to be  _ perfect. _

“You know, May?” Phil piped up from behind her, propped against the bricks, his arms crossed over his chest. “You’re pretty adorable when you do that thing with your nose.”

Melinda rolled her eyes, but couldn’t suppress a grin. “Shut up, Phil. I’m trying to line up my shot. The target will be leaving soon, and we won’t have more than a few seconds.”

He chuckled. “I’m just saying, Mel. When you look through the scope, your nose does this cute little scrunchy thing.”

When May was satisfied her aim was perfect, she turned to him. “Really, Phil? You’re hitting on me  _ now?  _ On a mission?”

Phil shrugged. “When else would you have me do it? Tomorrow morning when we’re in debrief with Fury?”

Melinda rolled her eyes before looking down the scope yet again, this time watching for their target. “At least come up with a better pick up line, Coulson.”

In their coms, their handler alerted them to movement in the building, and within a few seconds, the front door burst open.

May fired, taking their target out. They quickly set to work dismantling the rifle and grabbing the little equipment they carried with them. “By the way, Phil?” she asked as they stored the gun parts in a case. “I’m not adorable.  _ I’m deadly,”  _ she teased.

Phil blushed, and she had to practically drag him toward the fire escape to make their getaway.

* * *

“I like the bangs, May,” Phil said as he led her toward the ballroom where their target was last seen. 

“Yeah right,” she said scathingly. She wasn’t a fan, but it was a popular hairstyle that fit with her undercover identity for this mission. Socialites always kept up with the trends after all.

Phil chuckled. “No, really. They’re nice.”

She shot him a look of doubt. 

“I like them  _ almost  _ as much as that little nose scrunch you do sometimes.”

Melinda rolled her eyes, glad they didn’t have their comms on at the moment. The last thing she needed was for Hill to tease her over Phil’s comments. “Why do you like the nose thing so much, Phil? You comment on it  _ every time I do it.” _

He shrugged, sliding his hand from the small of her back to rest on her hip and pulling her closer. Phil was obviously leaning into the role for their cover. Not that she particularly minded.

“Hell, Melinda. I don’t know,” he said blushing slightly. “I just- I think it’s adorable that a badass agent has one little tell that betrays her softer side, okay?”

She let him take her by the hand, leading her through the throngs of people as they kept their eyes peeled for their quarry. “You really like the hair?” May asked after they emerged from the crowd.

Phil nodded, kissing her temple softly as they sat down at the table to watch for their target. “I  _ really  _ like the hair.”

May had to remind herself they were undercover. The kiss was an act for the crowd, making them all believe they were different people.

Ignoring the butterflies in her stomach, she smiled broadly, running her fingers through his hair before letting her hand rest on the nape of his neck, “Maybe I’ll keep the bangs then.” 

* * *

“Oh, my  _ God.  _ It’s so good to see you, DC!” Skye said excitedly as she wrapped him in a quick hug. “May taught me how to fire a sniper rifle today!”

Coulson grinned, both at Skye’s enthusiasm and May’s lack of it. He put plates of food on the table for both of them. It was nice to get to have dinner with them, some time to catch up. It was rare he was able to do this now that he was director.

“Sniper rifles, huh?” He asked, winking at Melinda, who rolled her eyes in response. He thought he saw a glimpse of a smirk on her face as she looked down to her plate.

Skye continued with her story, “I’m not a huge fan of the kick, but it’s easier than I thought it would be.”

“Tell me, Skye,” Phil began seriously, “does May’s nose still do that adorable little scrunchy thing when she looks down the scope?”

Skye was dumbfounded, looking back and forth between the two of them, Phil knew his huge grin and Melinda’s little smirk hinted at some of their history together, and Skye would be chomping at the bit for more information.

“Hold on,” Skye said, her fork clattering to the plate.” “Did  _ you  _ just call  _ May  _ adorable? And  _ she didn’t murder you?”  _ She paused, waiting for one of them to answer. When she was met with only silence, she asked, “What the  _ hell _ is going on here?” __

Phil shrugged. “So was that a yes or a no on the nose scrunches?” he asked innocently, taking a bite of his dinner.

* * *

Melinda woke slowly. The noises of her surroundings - the call of a seagull, the crashing of the waves outside, Phil’s light snores from behind her - working together with the rising sun to pull her from her slumber.

She turned over in Phil’s arms, bringing them face to face. 

Her movement had awoken him, and he blinked sleepily at her. “Hi,” he mumbled.

“Hey,” she whispered, tracing the black lines that ran outwards from his scar. They were wider and darker each day, spreading further and further up his neck and out over his shoulders.

Phil kissed her forehead gently., but his stubble still scratched her, feeling like rough sandpaper on her skin. 

Melinda realized she must’ve made a face when she heard Phil chuckle. “I was just thinking about that last night.”

“What?”

He ran a finger softly down the bridge of her nose. “How adorable you look when you scrunch your nose up like that.”

May shut her eyes tightly, willing herself not to cry. He’d told her several times throughout their many years together how cute he thought that one particular trait was. She swallowed hard, forcing down the lump in her throat. “I’m not adorable, Phil.  _ I’m deadly,”  _ she managed to whisper.

Coulson chuckled again, pulling her closer. “You know, Melinda? I think when you said that to me the first time was the moment I knew I was in love with you. Terrified, of course. But definitely in love.”

Melinda only held him tighter, reveling in what little time they had left together.

**Author's Note:**

> Where'd I get the idea for May's cute nose scrunches? Well, I'm glad you asked!! ~~I mean you didn't, but I'm about to tell you anyway.~~ The answer is simple: Ming in The Mandalorian is aiming something like a sniper rifle and her nose does this cute little scrunchy thing. So yeah. That's how I decided May would also have that cute little trait as well.


End file.
